Snowflakes
by Rj34
Summary: A fluffy Christmas one chapter story for Georgie and CJ fans. Set part way through 'After the jump' (between chapters 8 and 9) and before 'last chance'.


**Authors note - Just a little 'Christmas special' for all Georgie and Charlie fans. Nice and fluffy in true Christmas style. Enjoy!**

 **This is set part way through 'After the Jump' between chapters 8 and 9, and before 'Last Chance'.**

 **I cant find 'Last chance' in The OG section so if you havent already found it and would like to read, please click on my name and you should see a list of my stories. :)**

It was cold, breathtakingly cold - so cold that they had to pull balaclavas over their faces to stop little icicles from forming. But it was also absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.

'Wow!' Georgie breathed, as they got to the peak of the ridge and looked over at the shimmering lights of the little Swiss town below. 'Look at that! Isn't that the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?'

'Almost.' Charlie grinned, nudging her playfully.

'Aww.' Georgie said playfully, leaning in to him as he put his arm around her. 'You're quite the romantic sometimes.'

They stood together, huddled under the stars for a few minutes saying nothing, just savouring the complete silence. The glow of the moon reflected off the snow under foot and although it was night time, it felt strangely light. It had been such a long time since they had time just to stand and relax. There was no rush to be anywhere and nothing to worry about at all.

There was a soft crunching sound from behind them and Georgie turned round just as they were joined by their guide, Raph.

'Impressive?' He asked in his thick french accent.

'It's amazing!' Georgie cried, releasing her grip on Charlie. 'So amazing. Can we just stay here all night?!'

Raph smiled. 'We could.' He said. 'But we have somewhere better to go to.'

'Better than this?!' Georgie asked doubtfully. Raph nodded. 'Nah. It's not that I don't believe ya, but... how could it be any better than this?'

Raph laughed. 'You'll see.' He said. 'Shall we continue?'

They followed him back in to the forest, winding through the trees with just the light from their head torches. All they could hear was the light crunching of their snowshoes and the odd twit twoo of an owl. It was Christmas Eve and although they had no children with them (Sam was with his Mum until the day after Boxing Day), so far it was the most magical Christmas Eve Georgie could remember.

'How far is it?' Charlie asked Raph after they had been walking for about half an hour. He could happily enjoy the serenity of the forest forever, but they had been walking up hill for a couple of hours and he was starting to feel hungry.

'About half an hour longer.' Raph said. 'The path will level soon and then we are nearly there. Hungry?'

Charlie nodded. 'Starving. It's been a while since I did anything this er... strenuous.'

It had been just over a year since Charlie had left the army. It had not been an easy year. When he and Georgie returned from Bangladesh and decided to embark on their new lives together, they had known it wasn't going to be an easy ride. Charlie had the most difficult obstacles to face. He came back married to Molly, but their marriage had been over long before and it had taken a few months to sort out their divorce. Thankfully Molly had swiftly commenced proceedings and the papers had been ready for his return. He had dealt with them as quickly and painlessly as he could, but as much as he had looked forward to his new life with Georgie it still hurt when he read their names on the decree, that insignificant looking piece of paper which signified the end of their married lives together, and the start of their new lives apart.

He also had his parents to deal with, and they weren't exactly thrilled with the prospect of yet another failed marriage. For a while his mother had tried to persuade him to stick it out - 'nobody puts enough effort in to marriage these days, marriage isn't disposable when convenient you know Charles...' But inevitably, they wanted what was best for him and when he returned from Bangladesh and told them everything, they were saddened that he had been struggling in his marriage for so long, and just wanted him to live a happy life.

It hadn't been easy for Georgie to slot in to their family, but they were now coming around to the idea and although they were probably never going to be massively close with Georgie, they didn't dislike her and were pleasant enough.

Georgie's family, in contrast, had been very welcoming of Charlie in to their family. He supposed that they were just so glad that he had brought her home safely and not in a box, that they wouldn't dream of making a fuss about her choice of partner, not after everything she had been through. It was a relief for them that she had found some happiness after Elvis. They had been very welcoming, and if they had been shocked or disapproving of the timing of Charlie's proposal they hadn't shown it.

But by far the hardest part of the last year for Charlie was working through his PTSD. At times he had nearly driven himself mad let alone Georgie, and he was desperately grateful to her that she had stuck with him and trusted him to get through it. He knew that at times he hadn't been fair to her, and that his mood swings and nightmares were hard for her to deal with. She had been working through her own journey with PTSD at the same time, although she seemed to be coping a lot better than he was at times, they finally seemed to be making progress together. The key difference was that Georgie was still in the army and so they were supporting her with her recovery. On the other hand Charlie was out, and that meant he was out. He had ended up seeking help privately, with Georgie's full support.

And it had worked. Charlie finally felt hope, that he could get himself together and function normally outside of the army, and although he could never unsee the things he had seen, he felt himself coming to terms with them.

Charlie breathed in the fresh mountain air. It smelt like pine cones and he could detect the faint smell of wood smoke. This trip had been his idea, a way to relax and enjoy Christmas together away from the stress of real life, and he felt like it had worked wonders for both of them. They had spent the week relaxing in mountain spas, trying their luck with skiing (Charlie had been more successful than Georgie, who had spent most of the day on her bum in the snow, roaring with infectious laughter which had in turn set Charlie off) and snuggling up in front of the log fire in their cabin under a thick blanket, talking as though they hadn't seen each other for years. It was actually really refreshing to be able to spend time just the two of them, without work and real life getting in the way. He couldn't speak for Georgie, but Charlie felt like the one week they had spent in Switzerland had done as much for his recovery as months at home. He hadn't had a single nightmare or flashback since they had been here - because everything felt fresh and new, there was little to trigger those memories. It also warmed him inside to see Georgie laughing again like she had nothing at all in the world to worry about. He couldn't actually remember the last time he saw her laugh like that.

'Here we are.' Raph's voice snapped Charlie out of his thoughts as they approached a small clearing in the woods, and Charlie grinned at the smell of freshly cooked, wood smoked sausages which were sizzling on a pan on the fire. Behind the fire was a log cabin, covered in snow and with twinkly lights hanging in the windows. It was beautifully Christmassy.

'Brilliant.' Charlie said, rubbing his hands together in readiness. He could almost taste the sausages already.

'I am starving!' Georgie said, plonking herself down on one of the logs that had been placed around the fire. 'Oh, hi.'

Another figure emerged from the darkness. 'This is Loic, my colleague. He's kindly set up the fire and sausages for our arrival.'

'Good shout.' Georgie said. 'Nice to meet you, Loic.'

'Hi.' Charlie said.

Loic waved. 'Hi there. Nice walk?'

'Yes thanks.' Charlie replied. 'It was amazing.'

They sat around the fire covered with blankets, and the fire slowly warmed them inside out. They ate sausages (which were delicious and perfectly cooked - although they were so hungry that even a cheese sandwich would have tasted gourmet) and drank mulled wine. After the sausages had gone, Raph pulled out a small pot and set it on the fire filled with cheese. The cheese melted and whilst it got hot enough he set out a selection of different meats and vegetables on a little table.

'Fondue.' Loic said. 'Skewer your choice of food, and dip in to the pot until cooked.'

Georgie went first. She skewered a piece of meat (she wasn't entirely sure what it was - it was a bit dark to see, maybe it was pork) and placed it in to the pot.

'How long d'ya cook it?' She asked.

'A few minutes and then see how it looks.' Raph replied.

Georgie watched as Charlie skewered a different piece of meat, and then placed it in to the pot. He snuggled up next to her on the log and they waited for it to cook, savouring the fruity smell of the mulled wine and the hint of smoky sausages which still lingered.

After a few minutes Charlie pulled his skewer out of the pot and bit in to it. He sighed dramatically with contentment. 'Oh my god. It's good.' He said.

Georgie pulled hers out of the pot too quickly and it fell off the stick, sinking in to the cheese. 'Oh no!' She cried theatrically. 'I've lost it! Ah why am I such a terrible chef.'

'It's fondue Georgie, not fine dining.' Charlie said with a grin. She nudged him. 'Shut up!'

'Push it on further this time.' Charlie said smugly as he put his second skewer in to the pot.

'Oh get you, fondue expert!' Georgie mocked him, but she did what he said.

Once they were full, they sat by the embers of the fire. It was still lovely and hot, and their fingers and toes had thawed out nicely. Loic and Raph retreated inside the little cabin in which Georgie and Charlie were staying, presumably to prepare it, leaving them alone.

'Thank you.' Georgie said softly, leaving her head on Charlie's shoulder contentedly.

'For what?' Charlie asked.

'For this.' She said. 'This is amazing. The best Christmas Eve.'

'Yeah.' Charlie breathed. 'Think I surpassed myself a bit this year.'

Georgie laughed, and snuggled in to him as he held her closer.

'Not just with the holiday.' Charlie said, more sincerely this time. 'With you too.'

'Aww.' Georgie said, looking up to him and kissing him gently.

'I mean it.' Charlie said, squeezing her leg through his glove. 'You've been there for me through... well through rock bottom. I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd walked away. But you didn't. I don't think I'd be here if it wasn't for you.'

Georgie looked in to his eyes and could tell that he was dead serious. She could see the reflection of the campfire in his eyes, it reminded her of the reflection of the flames she saw in his eyes that night in Belize, when they were stuck in the jungle, hiding from the drugs runners and they had to watch as they terrorised the village. That day, when he had admitted his feelings for her, it had come like a lightning bolt out of the blue. She couldn't believe that he felt the same. She had hidden her feelings for so long, and he had hit her with a curve ball.

'I could say the same to you.' Georgie replied softly, the flames dancing in her eyes as Charlie leant in to kiss her. The warmth of his kiss lit her up inside, for a few seconds it felt like they were totally alone, and there was nobody else in their world.

Eventually Loic and Raph came out of the cabin and gave them the keys, and then retreated in to their own cabin a few meters away in the trees. Georgie and Charlie sat by the dying fire, cuddled up under a blanket, watching the glowing coals. They didn't talk, but just enjoyed each other's company and the feeling of contentment sitting by the fire. Occasionally Charlie checked his watch, and when it got to midnight Georgie was just about dropping off to sleep on his shoulder.

'Merry Christmas.' Charlie whispered softly, stirring her from her sleep.

'Is it midnight?' Georgie asked groggily, stretching and yawning as she sat up on the log. 'Maybe we should go to bed. I'm knackered.'

'Just sit here with me a moment longer?' Charlie asked. 'Please?'

'Alright.' She replied. 'Two minutes. But then I'm going to bed.'

She shut her eyes and leant back on Charlie's shoulder, shifting the blanket so that it covered over her shoulders. She felt Charlie fidget a bit and she opened her eyes to find him looking in to hers.

'What are you doing?' She asked.

'Watching you.' Charlie said. 'Thinking how lucky I am, and how beautiful you are.'

'Even when I'm wind swept and not wearing any make up.' Georgie joked.

'Especially then.' Charlie said seriously, and then brought his hand out of the blanket to reveal a little box.

'I wanted to make it special.' He said, folding the blanket down and taking Georgie's hand.

'What are you doing?' Georgie asked. 'You already asked me to marry you and I already said yes!'

'I know.' He said, looking down in to her eyes again. 'But I didn't do it properly last time. And I wanted to make it special.'

Georgie smiled as he opened the box slowly. The light from the embers of the fire made the ring sparkle, and Charlie took the ring out gently and held it between his fingers.

'I'm not going to get down in the snow.' He grinned, and Georgie laughed. 'Georgie Lane. Will you marry me?'

'Yes, you idiot!' Georgie smiled, and grabbed both sides of his face as she kissed him deeply. Charlie placed his hands over hers and then took her left hand off his face gently, before taking her glove off and slipping the ring gently on to her finger. It was a perfect fit.

'It's beautiful.' Georgie said. 'Thank you.'

She wriggled and felt the scratch of Elvis' ring on her skin. She still wore it around her neck on a chain. Momentarily she felt guilty for accepting this ring from Charlie and for allowing herself to be excited about their future together when she still had feelings for Elvis. She thought those feelings would fade, and although they had a little she still felt strongly for him. She felt almost like a traitor, wearing a ring from another man on her finger. Although they had been engaged for a while, this felt like a bigger step somehow.

'Are you ok?' Charlie asked, sensing a sudden hint of sadness in her eyes.

Georgie said nothing for a few seconds, and then he put his forehead to hers, his hand cupped gently around the side of her face. 'It's ok to think about him.'

Georgie felt her heart thumping in her chest. 'I'm sorry.' She said. 'This is amazing, you've put so much thought in to this. I don't want to ruin it by... you know.'

'I told you Georgie.' Charlie said firmly. 'Elvis will always be a part of us. That will never be a problem.'

Georgie nodded and closed her eyes, feeling the reassuring warmth of Charlie's breath on her face.

'I do want to marry you.' She said eventually. 'I do love you.'

'I love you too.' Charlie said, pulling her in to the warmth of his chest. 'And there's no rush. I just wanted to do it properly, give you something nice. Show you how serious I am about us. We don't have to set a date or do anything, until you're ready. I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me. If you don't want to marry me for ten years then that's ok with me.'

Georgie snuggled in to him, her arms tightly holding him close as the fire danced in front of them. She closed her eyes and relaxed in to his body. She felt safe with Charlie. Loved. Things had never been as fiery between them as they had with Elvis, but they weren't the same person. As much as Georgie had loved Elvis he had let her down more than once. She had felt cheated losing him so soon after she had decided to give him another chance, but who knew what might have happened after that? Maybe he would have let her down again.

Things were different with Charlie. She felt safe, loved, protected. She knew she could count on him for anything and that he wouldn't let her down. They were like two pillars of a building, one couldn't work on its own without the other.

'I don't want to wait ten years.' Georgie said eventually, and she reached up and cupped his cheek in her palm. 'There isn't enough time.'

Charlie felt a jolt in his stomach as he remembered the first time Georgie had said those words, sat on the hospital bed after the explosion in Bangladesh, finally admitting her feelings for him. He smiled and put his hand over hers. 'I would marry you tomorrow if I could. You know how I feel.' He said.

'I know.' Georgie said. 'So let's set a date when we get home, yeah? Talk to Sam, and if he's alright about it then... let's go for it?'

'Yeah.' Charlie nodded, and then he pulled her in to him and kissed her.


End file.
